Useful Information On Food Safety

Food-borne microorganisms cause tens of millions cases of intestinal illness each year. For most healthy people, the distressful vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea are short-lived. But in people with weakened immunity, such as those with AIDS, symptoms are often severe, and the infections are so difficult to treat they can be fatal.

Salmonella bacteria frequently contaminate unpasteurized milk and raw poultry, meat and eggs. Up to 40 percent of marketed raw chickens carry this bacteria. Cross-contamination from raw poultry to other foods during storage or food preparation is a major pathway for salmonella into the diet.

Listeria bacteria are found in unpasteurized milk, cold smoked fish, and certain cheeses, particularly soft-ripened varieties such as Brie and Camembert. Even vegetables can carry Listeria and, once cut, support its growth. A quarter of the estimated 1600 listeriosis cases each year end in death.

Hepatitis A can be transmitted by unsanitary food handling or by eating raw or undercooked shellfish harvested from contaminated waters.

Common-sense precautions in food selection and preparation can significantly lessen the hazard of infection from contaminated food. According to Hawley, M.D., medical director Whitman-Walker Clinic, Washington, D.C., a cardinal rule is:

"Any raw animal-derived food must be considered to be contaminated with harmful microorganisms. Under no circumstance should a high-risk person consume unpasteurized milk or raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, fish, shellfish or meat."

Look for cleanliness at meat and seafood counters and salad bars. For example, cooked shrimp lying on the same bed of ice as raw fish could be contaminated. Buy only Grade A or better eggs. Avoid eggs that are cracked or leaking. Don't buy any foods whose "sell by" or "best used by" date has passed. Read the label to see if the food contains raw or undercooked animal-derived ingredients. Caesar salad dressing, for instance, traditionally uses raw eggs. Buy only milk and cheeses labelled" pasteurized."

Put raw seafood, poultry and meat in plastic bags so drippings can't contaminate other foods in the shopping cart or bag. Take groceries directly home and refrigerate cold foods. Hot foods from the deli should be eaten, kept hotter than 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit), or refrigerated right away. Leaving foods unrefrigerated for even a few hours fosters bacterial growth. Store eggs in their original carton in the main section of the refrigerator. Don't put them in the egg section of the door because the temperature there is higher.

Wash hands, utensils, counters, and cutting surfaces with hot soapy (preferably biodegradable) water between preparation of different foods, particularly after handling raw eggs, meat, poultry, or fish. In other words, wash repeatedly during mealpreparation to avoid cross-contamination. Use plastic or glass cutting boards rather than wooden ones, which are difficult or impossible to clean adequately. Be sure to disassemble and thoroughly wash the meat grinder and blender after grinding raw meat or poultry or blending eggs or vegetables.

Promptly refrigerate or cook foods, including vegetables, after you cut them up. Bacteria can grow at temperatures above 4°C (40°F) and below 60°C (140°F), so temperature is vital in keeping foods safe. Cook beef and lamb to at least 60°C (140°F), pork to 66°C (150°F), and poultry to 74°C (165°F). Follow the recipe for seafood, but don't undercook it. Avoid lightly steamed mussels and snails. Fish should be flaky, not rubbery, when cut. Never eat oysters on the half shell, raw clams, sushi, or sashimi. Cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm, not runny.

Refrigerate leftovers in covered containers to avoid cross-contamination. Divide hot foods into small portions for quick cooling, and allow room for circulation around containers to prevent the refrigerator or freezer temperature from rising. If food looks or smells suspicious throw it out or put it in a compost heap to use as fertilizer in the garden.

At home don't eat uncooked animal-derived dishes such as steak tartar, sushi, raw oysters, Hollandaise sauce, and homemade mayonnaise, eggnog, or ice cream.

When dinning out, if you don't know what's in a particular dish, ask. Send back undercooked food - poultry that's even slightly pink. When ordering eggs, specify that scrambled eggs be "dry" and that fried eggs be well-cooked on both sides. The runnier the yolk, the higher the risk.

A consumer or physician who believes an episode of diarrhoea or other stomach disorder is related to a particular food or restaurant should tell the local health department or nearest FDA office. Such reporting can help others avoid the illness. [Food Safety, Crucial for People with Lowered Immunity. FDA Consumer, Pg 7-9, August 1990.]

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